Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Excessive exercise may damage the gut

A review of published studies has found that people who exercise excessively may be prone to acute or chronic gut issues.

Investigators found that with increasing intensity and duration of
exercise, there was a proportional increased risk of gut damage and
impaired gut function. Specifically, the cells of the intestine are
injured and the gut becomes more leaky, allowing pathogenic endotoxins
normally present and isolated to the intestine to pass into the
bloodstream. This scenario of 'exercise-induced gastrointestinal
syndrome' may lead to acute or chronic health complications.

Exercise stress of 2 hours at 60% VO2max appeared to be the
threshold whereby significant gut disturbances arise, irrespective of an
individual's fitness status. Running and exercising in hot ambient
temperatures appear to exacerbate the gut disturbances.

The review also found that for patients who have irritable bowel
syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease, low to moderate physical
activity may be beneficial. The health implications of more strenuous
exercise has not been researched, but is likely to be detrimental for
such patients.

"Despite excessive exercise being confirmed to compromise gut
integrity and function, we have identified several exacerbating factors
which can be controlled, and several prevention and management
strategies that can attenuate and abolish the damage and compromised
function," said Dr. Ricardo Costa, lead author of the Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics
review. "It is recommended that a full gut assessment during exercise
should be undertaken by individuals with symptoms of gut disturbances
during exercise, to ascertain what is causing the issue and to develop
individually tailored management strategies."